Round Lake Park wanted shot at policing Hainesville

Round Lake Park Mayor Jean McCue thought her town offered a pretty good deal to Hainesville, which may drop its two-year-old police department and contract for patrol service.

However, while Grayslake police and the Lake County sheriff's office were invited to make a presentation at Hainesville village hall Tuesday night, Round Lake Park was left out. Hainesville Mayor Linda Soto said she informed McCue of the decision.

Round Lake Park policed Hainesville from 1999 to 2008, but a money dispute eroded the relationship.

McCue said she had hoped to compete with Grayslake and the Lake County sheriff for the opportunity to patrol neighboring Hainesville.

"I don't want to ruin a relationship with Hainesville," McCue said Thursday. "I feel left out of the game, but there may be good reason."

Round Lake Park would charge about $583,000 for its total policing package for the 2010-11 fiscal year starting May 1. Hainesville Police Chief Wallace Frasier said his department would need a $1.1 million budget to get the department out of a startup mode.

Grayslake is offering complete police service to Hainesville for $711,782 in the new fiscal year. The Lake County sheriff's office would charge $791,566.

Soto said there was "a lot of damage" after Round Lake Park and Hainesville parted company in 2008, including lawsuits between the towns. She added Round Lake Park's willingness to beat the other agencies on price is not the only consideration.

Hainesville is a better fit with Grayslake than Round Lake Park, Soto said. She said Grayslake's school systems and park district serve most of her residents.

Soto said minor police calls typically handled by Grayslake also mirror what Hainesville mostly generates. She said while some serious crime occurs in Hainesville, community policing should be a priority.

"Demographically, Round Lake Park has more gang response, more violence," said Soto, who maintains she wants to have a good relationship with the neighboring town.

McCue said Hainesville isn't devoid of crimes involving drugs or violence.

"We have backed them up on those kinds of calls," she said. "That's all I want to say."

Hainesville village board members are expected to decide what to do about police service April 13. Soto said negotiations with Grayslake and Lake County would start if officials pull the plug on village police.

State requirements revised in 1999 forced Hainesville to shut its part-time police department. Instead of paying for officers to undergo more training, Hainesville opted to link with Round Lake Park.